There’s a restaurant nearby that I visit often because it has the best beef brisket around. Mac’s Speed Shop promotes itself as the place for beer, bikes and BBQ. I mention Mac’s because they do a creative job of resource usage. Now, you’re probably thinking I’ve lost my mind talking about a restaurant that shows its creativity in the way it uses – and reuses – entree components.

The chef there seems to have used the SCAMMPERR method. He was probably noticing one day that there were lots of brisket bits scattered about that were too small to go on the entree platter. How could I put that to other uses, he asked himself. The next thing you know, there are new items on the menu: the brisket Mexicue, which is a quesadilla using brisket bits, the beef brisket soft taco, and the mini-scooter chopped brisket sandwich.

Do you have a leftovers in your processes that could be put to other uses?

Well, what about combining things to come up with something new? My friends who own Eez Fusion Restaurant were trying to develop a format for a new restaurant they wanted to open. Eez had really good sushi, but they didn’t want to open just another sushi restaurant. Been there, done that. So, they had the idea of combining a burger bar and a sushi bar. Today, it’s a very popular restaurant known as Cowfish, billed as the world’s only sushi burger bar.

If you look closely, you can find creativity everywhere. Your assignment: start paying attention to the examples of creativity that surround us. You might find something that works in your business.

Harry Hoover is a partner in My Creative Team, the agency that makes Fortune 1000 clients look good. His communications career spans 35 years and runs the gamut from print and broadcast journalism, government and corporate communications to advertising and public relations agencies. He is the author of Moving to Charlotte: The Un-Tourist Guide.